Brace for automobile understructures.



w.1. STOGNER.

BRACE FOR AUTOMOBiLE UNDERSTRUCTURES.

APPLICATION FI LED JUNE-22. 19H.

Patented Oct.

WILLIAM JESSE STOGNER, 0F HARTSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

BRACE FOR AUTOMOBILE UNDERSTEUCTURES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. e, 1918.

' Application filed June 22. 1917. Serial No. 176,346.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. STOGNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartsville, in the county of Darlington and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Braces for Automobile Understructures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The general object of my invention is to provide an attachment for automobiles, particularly the Ford automobiles, to firmly brace and sustain the body thereof, at the center, whereby to absorb and relieve the body, including the running boards, of strain and jars due to the vibrations and sagging of the body and running boards at the center.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the indicated character of simple form that may be readily hung or removably attached to certain parts of the car, particularly from the front and rear running board brace rods and running-board hangers, whereby to absorb and relieve the body, including the running boards, of strain and jars due to the vibrations and sagging and buckling of the tie rods which brace the running boards.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved brace illustrating the manner of attaching the same to the particular parts of a Ford machine.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, and,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the manner of bracing the rear rod.

The usual outlines of a Ford car are indicated in dotted lines at 1 and 2, the latter being the running boards, which in the present instance are the ultimate elements to be braced. The usual chassis 3 has attached thereto, as at 4 the brackets or hangers 5 for the running board supports 6, which are braced at front and rear by the tie rods or running board brace rods As shown in Fig. 1, the same terminatein the threaded .portions 9 which are adapted to pass through the ears 11 of the running board supports 6 and secured thereto by means of the nuts 10. The foregoing relates to the ordinary features of a Ford car.

The construction and manner of attaching my improved brace will now be set forth. The front brace consists of two similar arms 20, 20, the upper extremities of which are removably attached to the hangers or brackets 5 by means of U-bolts 22 and the nuts 23. Intermediate the ends of the arms 20 are pivoted at 21 the short arms 24, the lower ends of which are provided with bolt holes. Small metal links 26 similarly provided with holes cooperate with the lower extremities of these short arms at and through both of which pass bolts secured by the nuts 27. It will be noticed in Fig. 1 that'on opposite sides of the center of the rod 7 these links 26 are reversely arranged in order to prevent the brace from being twisted when it is applied, that is, on the left side the link 26 is shown behind the end of the arm 24 while on the right the link 26 is shown in front of the arm. At the middle of the rod 7, the arms 20 are fastened to each other and to the rod by means of two bolts and the nuts 30 as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The rear brace is slightly modified at this central fastening because of the presence of the drive shaft A. And in order to allow.

the brace freedom from being rattled thereagainst or being struck thereby the additional link 51 is inserted, the manner of fastening such being otherwise the same, such as the links 49 and the nuts and bolts 50 and 50.

A brace such as above described is cheaply made and quickly and easily applied, and when attached the running board and body are firmly sustained at the center, thereby preventing vibrations and sagging of the body and running boards, and preventing all strains thereon as well as doing away with the rattling of the running boards, and mudguards.

It is obvious that various expedients may be resorted to and used for fastening the arms to the tie rod or hangers and that various other arrangements for bracing the CII rod may be used provided the same fall Within the scope of the claim. It is also clear that the arms 20 may be secured to the chassis 3 or any convenient stationary part of the frame.

Having thus described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An automobile truss comprising in combination With the running boards and tie-rod connecting the same together with running board supports or hangers depending from the chassis, of a pair of truss-rods or bars extending in opposite directions upwardly from an intermediate point of the tie-rod to and connecting the same with the upper portions of said hangers, and a brace connecting each of said truss-rods intermediate its ends With said tie-rod at a point between the center thereof and the running board.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

' VVILLIAMJESSE STOGNER. lVitnesses W. H. GARLINGTON, J. A. MCINTYRE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

